She yawned. “Where was I? Oh, yes. So the first thing the young king does is to see a painting of a beautiful princess and fall in love with her. A courtier or a messenger or some such shows it to him, but that doesn’t matter.”

She yawned again, squeaking this time, and for some reason his prick responded to the sound. Or perhaps it was her scent, which reached his nose whether he wished it to or not. It reminded him of spices and exotic flowers.

“The princess has skin as white as snow, lips as red as rubies, hair as black as, oh, pitch or the like, et cetera, et cetera.” Lady Georgina paused and stared into the fire.

He wondered if she was done and his torment over.

Then she sighed. “Have you ever noticed that these fairy-tale princes fall in love with beautiful princesses without knowing a thing about them? Ruby lips are all very well, but what if she laughs oddly or clicks her teeth when she eats?” She shrugged. “Of course, men in our times are just as apt to fall in love with glossy black curls, so I suppose I shouldn’t quibble.” Her eyes widened suddenly, and she turned her head to look at him. “No offense meant.”

“None taken,” Harry said gravely.

“Hmm.” She seemed doubtful. “Anyway, he falls in love with this picture, and someone tells him that the princess’s father is giving her to the man who can bring him the Golden Horse, which was presently in the possession of a terrible ogre. So”—Lady Georgina turned to face the fire and cradled her cheek in her hand—“he sends for the Leopard Prince and tells him to go out quick and fetch him the Golden Horse, and what do you think?”

“I don’t know, my lady.”

“The leopard turned into a man.” She closed her eyes and murmured, “Imagine that. He was a man all along. . . .”

Harry waited, but this time there was no more story. After a while he heard a soft snore.

He drew the robes up over her neck and tucked them around her face. His fingers brushed against her cheek, and he paused, studying the contrast of their skin tones. His hand was dark against her skin, his fingers rough where she was soft and smooth. Slowly he stroked his thumb across the corner of her mouth. So warm. He almost recognized her scent, as if he’d inhaled it in another life or long ago. It made him ache.